Land Sharks
by Sunburned-Stickperson
Summary: Dark AU. Being away from the sea is deadly for a mercreature. He knows this, and he'll get his family back somehow. Warnings: pseudo-cannibalism, unsettling deaths... more inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Not for the faint of heart. I used the darker side of merfolk to write this.**

**_Warnings:_ pseudo-cannibalism, blood, unsettling deaths and sensitive material for brief moments, the barest hint of rape, and general monsters being, well, monsters.**

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><p>He hated the lake. He hated that he was used to entertain someone. Had they asked him to kill the alligator, he would have. But they had captured him and forced him into the pond. They were careful at first. Now they were getting lazy. You should never be lazy around a monster—especially a monster you capture. His time was soon. And then he, his son, and his younger brother would be free at last.<p>

Big, black eyes blinked at the bottom of the lake. He was belly down the muddy bottom, his sharp, claw-like fingers curling into the mud beneath his head. He could hear the humans above with his pointed, slender ears. They weren't the human he wanted, but perhaps he could send them a warning. The single, shark-like fin on his back was dug awkwardly into the mud when a smaller mercreature, the tough cartilage of his kind was fashioned to be hard and unyielding, nuzzled against his belly, clinging close and whimpering in hunger. He ran a hand down its back. Fish were not enough anymore. The humans would suffer now.

They were monsters, and as the stories said, monsters eat people.

He could hear them laughing and jeering at the top of the lake, unable to be seen in the murky water of the depths, where he felt most at home. They wanted a glimpse of him. The smaller boy attached himself to his stomach as he started swimming up, slowly, carefully. His younger brother followed curiously.

He got as close to the top as he possibly could without being seen and started playing the game he always did. He let his fin touch the top of the water to cause ripples. He could hear the maidens gasp and the boys holler for more. After a few more minutes, a few splashes and a couple of rocks later, the boys would get antsy, and he would flash his fin. He was grateful for the fin-like creations on his elbows, helping him with handling in the water as he made several tight curves.

Another cheer, and the boys went in a little farther, taunting, jeering, and his younger brother was finally catching on. They moved farther into the middle of the lake, showing their fins, and the boys got cockier, the maidens too, lifting their skirts to wade in a bit. Young women tasted better than young men. Their flesh was softer, silkier, _richer_ because they weren't treated like men. They were just expected to sit around all day and gain weight to show how rich they were—perfect for a young mercreature like his son.

They showed their backs a little farther away, and the kids cheered again, wading in just a little bit more. They let themselves sink below the water before taking off at high speeds, screaming as they jumped, their claws outstretched and their mouths full of razors, grabbing the pretty young ladies and dragging them under the water before they knew what was happening. They pulled the two down, down, down, to their nest, the thrashing and kicking slowly stopping as the humans died, and they ripped into the flesh, the youngest one detaching himself long enough to bury his way into the corpse, eating the insides that were the most tender and nutritious. He shared one with his younger brother, their black, beady eyes conveying everything they needed to know about what was going to happen.

Now was their time for revenge.

It was only a few minutes later before they heard the yelling, the screaming, the general chaos of above the water, and he buried himself partly in the mud, his child against his chest once more, happily fed, and he listened as his younger brother nestled against his side. The mutilated, devoured bodies of the young women were, no doubt, floating at the top by now, their naked bodies a horror to the people on the surface, but he didn't care: he was fed and content, his charges nearby. He nestled down farther, keeping his child warm, and he could _feel_ his younger brother's nervousness from beside him. He ran a hand down his back, his claws lightly scratching against the tough hide. He would be hungry again soon, years of underfeeding plaguing them, too stubborn to die. He could already feel his child stirring, that familiar whimper of hunger haunting him. They hadn't had a decent meal in years, and it was catching up to them now that they had one good meal. He had watched and waited, and the forces surrounding the lake were thinning out. So he had attacked. The king grew fat and lazy, and the children and soldiers arrogant and stupid.

"Creatures, if you are out there, we wish to speak to you. Can you hear us?"

Even in the depths of the lake, he could hear the humans. He wanted his undersea vent again. If it hadn't been for the natural heated springs below them and the sun, they would have died of cold.

"I don't think they can, sir."

"You underestimate them, idiot. My father always warned me to never play in the waters. He was right. Your children are cocky, arrogant idiots to play with monsters."

He detached the sleeping, shivering child from his chest and had his younger brother cover him, swimming leisurely to the top and touching his fin against the top of the waters.

"So you do hear us."

A splash of the tail.

"Why, mercreature? Have we not treated you fairly?"

He screamed in an explosion of water and threatening moves, swimming toward the shores and feeling himself jump from the water to grab the man and scrape his claws against his throat. Pathetic: he could _smell_ the fear the man gave off. There was the sound of someone loading their bow, and he heard the man make a small noise.

"_You take my freedom and my family, and you expect me to fall at your feet thanking you?_" he hissed, and his voice sounded rough from lack of use.

The king was tense in his arms. "What do you want then, monster?"

"_My freedom._"

The king inhaled deeply, his breathing quivering with fear as he tapped his claws against the human's Adam's apple. They had incredible dexterity even in the shallows of the water. They were the pinnacle of aquatic fighting.

"What would make you stay?"

"_Nothing._"

He inhaled deeply, through his mouth, drinking in the fear that radiated from the man, and he couldn't help but pass his claws over the rolls of fat, knowing his child would be even better well-fed with this ugly beast.

"If I were to say no?"

"_You will die._"

"If I were to say yes?"

"_You will give me your fattest young woman to feed my child and spare your life as the pathetic coward you are._"

The king inhaled deeply, then, without batting an eye, he uttered, "Bring me the plumpest young woman we have. Take your freedom and leave."

He waited patiently as there was a quiet murmuring before, eventually, there was the sound of a young lady stepping forward. He looked, giving a feral grin. As soon as her feet touched the edge of the lake, he hissed in pleasure.

"Now take your freedom and go," the king hissed.

He pushed the king forward into the lake, raking his claws through the girl's neck and dragging the body under the water. With all the heavy dresses, he could drop it off near the middle and let her sink to the nest, where his child would awaken and no doubt feed greatly. His child would be healthy again.

Then, on a whim, as he heard the people leaving, he swam forward quickly, screaming and grabbing the king's leg, dragging him under with a cackle that chilled the soldiers. He pulled him down to his younger brother and watched his face light eagerly. As they ate, he swam along the bottom, stirring up the currents with the high speeds his kind swam at. He raged well into the night, smashing into the boats of the soldiers who would try to spear them out of the lake.

He had been contented to lie low in the beginning, when they fed him well and gave him both distance and respect, but he would not let any more harm come to his brother and son.

When the soldiers' boats snapped in half, he would watch as the ones that couldn't swim sank in their armor, their last glimpse of the world murky waters and a demon grinning at them before two clawed hands much different from his would grab them and pull them down. They would eat well for the next few days.

He was content to lie low with his brother and his son, feeding off the corpses, the water's edge blessedly silent, and he knew their time to escape was soon. The feast that rolled around several nights later, as tradition so demanded, would require all the soldiers at the castle, and no trip to the lake that year. He gathered his child and his younger brother, pulling them up and out of the lake, slipping through the trees on the opposite side with the grace of someone who had done it for years. As he dried, he could feel his human form taking shape, stretching and pulling at his skin and stretching it as he ran away. It was a rather trivial thing for him, his voice. He knew that his younger brother couldn't talk, and his son was deaf, but it didn't matter: they were free.

They ran well into the night, down into the village and slipping through the shadows as they followed their call to the sea. The sea was their mother, their protector, their provider. When they were pulled away from her, she called them back. When she was happy, they were happy. And she was never happy when her children were missing. His younger brother was still too young to properly feel the pull toward the ocean, and his son had hardly touched the waters.

They ran until their legs collapsed from the cold of the night and huddled together as close as they could. They were a stubborn people. They would not die that easily.

Morning found him jolting awake as he clutched his son close against his chest. His younger brother was beside him, and he looked around at the room. It was small, barren, save for a table with some human food on it and a few chairs. There were two young men sleeping in another bed, and a large fire in the hearth and a cauldron that already had something in it, steaming. A washing basin was pressed securely in the corner. His younger brother stirred, but he found his eyes drawn to the men on the bed. He adjusted the covers around his brother again, the small child clutching tightly to his shoulders and neck as it slept. He carried it over, looking at the two men sleeping before his eyes widened: they were merfolk.

He could feel it, deep in his bones and by the strong urge to shake them awake until they decided to go back to the sea. If they were captives, too, then there would be war to rage. One had no arm, and from the outline of the other, he seemed normal. He wondered when they had gone missing. The younger of the two groaned, stirring, and he stood there, watching, waiting. Two bright blue eyes fluttered open, followed by a huge smile.

"Hi! You're awake!"

He blinked, nodding slowly and covering his child's head. He moved out of the way as the young merman sat up. He seemed so jovial for being away from the sea.

"There's food on the table if you're hungry!" the boy said as he hopped out and started walking around.

He was only a few decades younger than himself, weak and emaciated. No doubt that he had been eating the food the humans gave him. He almost wondered if he had ever tasted human flesh. His skin had been a rich tan, he could tell, and then he began to look ragged and sick. Regardless, he seemed completely normal—until he grabbed the cauldron that had been simmering—and didn't flinch. The young man had lost his sense of touch. He set the thing on the table, looking at his hands briefly before shrugging.

"Would you like some?"

He blinked, then frowned. The other merman stirred. He wondered if they had forgotten they were merfolk. He wasn't even sure it was possible for a merman not to know they were from the sea—especially if they changed in water.

"What's wrong? Can't you speak?"

He blinked, stepping back to the bed as he saw the other merman get up. "Kadar, do not be so ridiculous. We will have to report them to the master if he speaks the name of his owner."

"Oh… They're slaves, too, Malik?"

He watched the other man go pacing across the room, not even sparing him a second glance as he sat down beside his younger brother. They even had names. How… cute. How… disgustingly human and utterly repulsive. He had to know just what happened to make them forget the basis of their birth. He clutched his child tighter, staring, scowling. Humans were disgusting.

"Undoubtedly."

He let go of his son and walked over, the baby still clinging and the shock expressions on the other two's faces something to remember. Malik's eyes narrowed, and when he approached, kneeling on the dirt floor and drawing, he could hear him scowl. He drew the waves and the ocean.

"Oh! A drawing game! How fun!"

There was no response from the older brother. He drew, with his shaky human finger, the merfolk as best he could beneath the waves. Even from his childish drawing, it was clear, however. The air around the elder of the two men was somber, but the other was still just as naïve and cheerful as before.

"The mermen," the older one growled. "Was your ship wrecked by them? They have been growing—"

The man stopped, twisting his lips tightly shut as he gave him a thorough once-over. He could see the gears in the man's head turning, and he knew that the man knew he was a merman. He thrust a finger at him, and the man pulled back, startled.

"Me?"

He jabbed the picture again. He couldn't believe that they couldn't recognize they were merfolk. He didn't believe that they couldn't feel the pull toward him and the sea. Well, he doubted that the older one didn't know, especially since he had gotten that look in his eyes saying he _knew_ he was a merman.

"Take you to the merfolk? I heard there were some in the lake at the castle a few towns over. I heard they started eating men. I'll hand-deliver you to—"

He rose, his nostrils flaring as he clenched his jaw. His fingers curled into fists. Surely, the rumors were false. No merman should be forced to forget his true nature. If the elder knew they were merfolk, but the younger didn't, it was a disgrace to the boy's name and the name of the merfolk. They would die if they stayed on the land for too long. He needed to know how long it had been since their last full transformation.

"I knew you were one of them."

His lip curled triumphantly. Malik grabbed his brother by the back of the ratty tunic and tugged him back as he went to offer him some of the contents of the pot. He curled one hand under his son.

"Where do you want us to take you?" Malik growled, and he pointed at the picture. "Then I refuse."

"Wait, what?" Kadar asked, tilting his head. "They're merfolk? I thought they were all women!"

"You fool!" Malik hissed at his brother, and he looked around, noting the wash bin in the corner was filled with water.

He walked over as Malik hissed at his brother in hushed tones, and he dipped a hand into the bin, watching as it transformed back into its original state and slid against the clothing. He jumped when he heard something gasp in his ear, and he slashed blindly at the noise, watching as the younger of the two stumbled back, bleeding from a gash on his cheek. He blinked before scooping up water and massaging it against his throat, trying to coax his voice back into working. Malik was in a tizzy, trying to stitch the wound, and he kept massaging the water into his throat. The man was a demon, trying to keep his brother from knowing what he was.

"_You are merfolk,_" he rasped, and fuck, it wasn't enough. He needed a full transformation for his whole voice. _"Come to the sea, and remember._"

"You're crazy," Malik growled as he pulled out the needle and thread.

Kadar tilted his head, causing Malik to hiss. "But, Mal, you always promised to take me to the sea one day."

"Not with these idiots, I won't. Especially not if they're merfolk—"

He didn't hear the end of the sentence as he plunged his head under the water, and he could feel his skin morph back into the head of a mercreature. He could feel the hair shrink back into his skull, the teeth grow, and his ears stretch. He lifted his head from the water and breathed in deeply, looking at the brothers and hissing, _"You will escort me to the sea, or I will eat you."_

Malik stiffened. That was one good thing about humans, or merfolk who wanted to believe they were human. They were easily frightened, and nothing was worse than a half-transformed merman standing over their wash bin.

If they never cleaned with more than a rag and some water, no wonder they never transformed. He hissed, snarling at them and watching as Malik moved in front of his younger brother. Already, he could feel the transformation back beginning as his skin dried. Kadar looked morbidly fascinated as his skin wrinkled and cracked. Malik was watching him cautiously, as he should. The seconds stretched to minutes in the tense silence, and he felt himself change back into a human.

"I'm not taking you."

He walked back over to his younger brother, sitting on the bed and rubbing his back as he clutched his child close. He shook his head as he felt his son stir against his chest, whimpering quietly for food. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He needed to get away from these idiots. If they wouldn't help him, he would find his way there anyway. His younger brother stirred.

"Do you have names?"

"Merfolk don't have names. That's how I know we aren't merfolk, Kadar. The master even told us our names and backgrounds."

"Oh… then let's name him Altair!" Kadar chirped. "And the baby Darim!"

"What of the middle one?"

He covered his face with a hand, shaking his head slowly. These men were idiots. The older was a heretic, a demon, a lying, conniving piece of flotsam that had washed up on the shore.

"Should we tell the master?"

Malik shook his head. "We will tell him they need to return to the coast."

"Will we go with?"

"If the master allows. I'm not sure I want you to be around him. He's dangerous, Kadar."

"So?"

The man was quiet after that when a knock came at the door. "How are the three from last night doing?"

Kadar gasped, quick to throw open the door with the needle still hanging from his cheek attached by the thread, and he bowed. "G-good, sir! But they need to return to the ocean!"

There was a tense silence as a portly man stepped through, wrinkling his nose at the servants' room but staring straight at him. "Sir" gave him an once-over when he rose, and he couldn't help but eye the fat on his body. He would feed his child and brother nicely.

"Don't even think about it," Malik hissed.

"Do they have a name?"

"No," Malik answered, looking at "Sir" and bowing. "However—"

"The eldest I gave the name Altair, and the baby Darim!"

"And the middle?"

"I couldn't think of one. Sorry, sir."

"Sir" chuckled and looked at the boy. "Perhaps Ezio? After my sister's son?"

"Brilliant, sir!" Kadar exclaimed, looking excited.

"Right," the man said, coughing into his sleeve, "what would be the best way to get you three out of here the quickest?"

Oh, so even the master of the household knew he was dangerous. He must have dealt with other merfolk as well. He blinked, pursing his lips. He may have had a human body, but he was still inhuman. He wondered how Malik and Kadar ended up in his service. He wondered how they hadn't eaten him yet. His child cried out again, louder, and he bumped him gently, rocking. He gave a calculating look at "Sir," who was already in the threshold, Malik standing between them, scowling. He smirked.

"Right, I will have horses ready for you—"

He pointed to Kadar.

"I'm sorry?"

He pointed again at him. _Him,_ he tried to convey_, or I rend your family limb from limb._

The man certainly seemed to catch on, but he seemed reluctant to let go. Altair stepped forward a pace, and "Sir" stepped back. Malik got in a fighting stance. His younger brother was sitting, yawning and stretching. The man scowled.

"Brutish creatures. Fine. Take the young man."

"You can't be serious," Malik hissed, looking back at the man. "Master or no, I am not allowing my brother to go to the—"

He found himself leaping the table and shoving Malik against the wall before he knew what happened. The man snarled and thrashed, trying his best as he clawed at the hands around his throat, and he positioned himself between his legs, showing him as he tightened his grip that, yes, he could not beat him and should give up. When Malik tried to go for his child, he threw him into to the cauldron on the table. His lips curled in a soundless snarl as he spun to look at "Sir." The man was already gone, hopefully preparing the horses for them, and he looked back at the brothers, glaring as Kadar helped Malik up.

His younger brother stood up and walked over, hugging him tightly and pressing his face into his side to tell him he was hungry. He clicked his tongue again, rubbing his back, and held him tightly: they had been dressed. How human. He paced out of the room and out to the foyer, watching the people and servants walking around. He eyed each of them. He would have to hunt carefully, now that he was out of the water. He couldn't draw too much attention until he was near the sea. There so many people out and about. Eventually, he went to attack, but Kadar came running up before he could even get near his target.

"You'll take me with, right?"

He blinked, and his fingers curled as he prepared to catch a human to feed his younger brother. He could feel something curl in his belly as he stared at him. He had felt it seventeen other times in a hundred years, and last urge gave him his child. He looked at him, wondering if the boy would be able to carry a child if fertilization took place.

"Please?" The young man dropped to his knees and hugged his leg. "Please? I'm dying to go! I've wanted to go for _so long_, but Malik always said no!"

He raised an eyebrow, and Kadar looked up long enough to catch it. In their true form, they were hermaphrodites, and he had actually carried his baby. Had he gone above water with child, he would have been a human woman since they were better equipped to carry a child. Merfolk who had already had a baby stood a better chance of getting another pregnant, but it was a one in twenty chance of it happening. If Kadar was with child, the pull to the sea would be stronger.

"He says the ocean is a deadly place, full of terrible creatures, and that I can't go, but it really isn't fair because I've been acting good to the master like he says—"

He squatted, cupping Kadar's cheek. The boy was crying. He glanced around the foyer, watching as people stopped, and Kadar sniffled.

"I've wanted to go to the sea ever since I woke up here with Malik, and the master told us that we got caught in the fishers' nets after falling overboard. They transferred us here since we were so badly injured."

He stiffened. So the boy had forgotten. He had gotten caught in a fisherman's net—no wonder they worked so complacently for "Sir." If it had been him, he would have run off after healing.

"And I always wanted to try fish, but it's too expensive here to feed it to a servant, so I never have and sometimes… sometimes…" He leaned in close at Kadar's gesture, and Kadar whispered, "I dream of blood and the best tasting meal I've never had, but nothing here comes close to it."

He smirked. The boy didn't remember his heritage, but he certainly had dreams about it. He pulled back, and Kadar looked extremely upset, the tears lines dried on his cheeks. He was filthy.

"Malik tells me it's bad of me to think of things like that."

He was appalled—he feared to know what Malik had become. No merman should ignore his calling to the sea: it was deadly. He pulled the boy close, and Kadar pressed his face into his neck. He was so thin, his arms were long and spindly, and there was almost no muscle to feel. He was more afraid of snapping Kadar in half than his own child.

"And sometimes," the boy whispered into his neck, "I get my meals taken away because I'm caught staring at the master's wife. Have you seen her? She is fat. She looks so…"

His smirk came back: this boy wasn't completely hopeless yet.

"…good. I want to bite her. She makes me hungry."

He hugged him tightly, careful of the child on his chest.

"But it's shameful, because humans shouldn't be hungry for someone else's wife. Are you a merman? Truly?"

He nodded, and his child whimpered between their bodies. Kadar sat in hushed awe for a moment.

"Will you take me to the sea?"

He nodded again.

"Will you buy me a fish?"

He pushed Kadar back gently and grabbed his chin. _I'll do so much better than that,_ he hoped he said, and Kadar's eyes grew wide, and he could see the start of a smile at the corner of his lips, and he knew that pull had been right. The boy would become a merman again. The child at his chest whimpered again, and Kadar took him gently. He watched as he stood up and calmed the baby, who gurgled and babbled. That was more than he had ever heard his child speak. He stood, looking as his baby, who shrieked at him gleefully. He should try to get Kadar pregnant. He would be excellent, and the child would, no doubt, be a great addition to the small number of merfolk.

It was then he realized that Kadar had the stitches from his earlier wound finished. Malik must have done that. He must have withheld the information he would heal faster with a saltwater bath, but that would mean transformation, and Malik seemed intent on making him forget. He sat back near his younger brother as Kadar cooed and played with his child.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh, two more warnings: an abusive relationship later on in a side pairing and genderswap.**

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><p>When "Sir" finally came back, he was frowning. Malik was beside him, looking ready to kill. He rose and nodded once.<p>

"Your horses are ready. You will take both Kadar and Malik."

He shrugged. That was fine. The boy would be coming with.

"We get to go?" Kadar asked, overflowing with child-like splendor. "We get to see the ocean? I'll get to play in the waves? I'll get to try fish—"

"Yes," the man said, sounding regretful, "yes, Kadar, you will."

Kadar hugged the man tightly, his baby babbling happily, before turning back to the little child. "Did you hear that, Darim? We get to go to the sea! Oh, isn't that great? Just think, Darim, Altair will take us there and show us all his mermaid and mermen friends, and we'll get to try fish, and we'll play together in the water!"

He sent a triumphant smirk toward Malik, who hissed, and he turned to walk out of the house when the man hissed in his ear, "You monster."

All he did was flash a malicious grin at Malik as he walked out. There were four horses, and he helped his younger brother onto one of them, slinging himself over another despite the nervousness of the horse. After a little bit of instruction, he checked to see if Kadar was on before kicking the horse into a canter. His younger brother's horse followed, and he didn't care enough to check on Malik. He almost wanted to laugh at the fact that Malik was so determined to be human that he even had saddlebags, undoubtedly filled with survival things humans would need.

He rode well into the day, not actually knowing where he was going, simply that he was following the pull of the ocean. Kadar was up beside him, chattering along merrily and filling the tense silence with idle talk, asking him questions even though he couldn't respond, cradling the baby when it got fussy (it was so fussy. He had to feed it again, now that it had been fed once before. The fat gained from the humans wouldn't last long in a human body).

His skin itched. It itched like hell from not being in the water for over twenty-four hours. He was swatting his younger brother's hands away from him when he tried to itch himself, so he wouldn't give himself sores. It would pass within seventy-two hours, but that was too far away, and he would hit water before that, whether by lake, or river, or what-have-him. He was more than ready for a body of water. By nightfall, they were in a small town, checked into one room at an inn, and he couldn't stand it anymore. He took his child from Kadar's arms and grabbed his younger brother by the wrist, pulling him out and into the town. He had spotted a lake at the edge of the town, and he made his way through. The townsfolk were slowly retreating inside. When he finally stood by the lake, he checked to make sure that no one was around, then handed his child to his younger brother and pushed them in. His younger brother stumbled, but fell into the water eagerly, disappearing in moments to settle at the bottom of the lake. He blinked when his head popped back up.

"_It's cold, brother._"

He winced. He was afraid of that. He nodded sympathetically. He saw the only two people who were out still in the dark. Good, they would get curious. His brother dived back below the waters and disappeared, probably making a nest for them at the bottom. He saw someone come running toward them, and he grunted when it was Kadar.

"Altair! Altair, why did you leave?"

The boy stopped a few feet away, breathing heavily. He was so weak from the time out of the water. The other people were starting to talk—starting to call others out. One was starting to walk over. He grunted, stepping forward and grabbing Kadar before throwing him into the lake, diving in quickly after and feeling the refreshing change as he restrained the boy. Kadar was thrashing wildly in his arms, and he adjusted to wrap his hands around the boy's throat. He had to breathe _in_ to change—he had been out of the water for far too long. When Kadar managed to see him in his true form, his eyes grew wide, and he tried to gasp, quickly realizing his mistake and trying to force it back out, but it was too late. Altair's eyes grew wide as he watched him transform, and he wrapped himself around him before he could push away, aligning their bodies _just so_, and he released, and all he could do was wait.

He let Kadar go, watching him shoot to the surface, panicked and afraid, and he smirked as he followed and heard the chaos, grabbing the pregnant woman and dragging her in with a scream. Her blood would be rich, and his baby well fed. He could see the people scattering as Kadar coughed and hacked, and he wondered if the boy now had a female body as his younger brother and his baby made quick work of the woman and her unborn child.

Sex was not glorified with the merfolk. It was a simple means to a simple end. They were humanoid fish. This was how they worked. He screamed as he shot forth and grabbed another young man, because young men were better than older men. All of the women had run. Soon, he would have yet another mouth to feed. If fertilization did happen with Kadar, then he would start craving human flesh more than before. He ate what was left of the young man, peeling the flesh from the skull and cracking the skull to give the brain to younger brother. He gave the brain of the woman to his baby, who cried happily, swishing his tail back and forth.

Thankfully, they were able to slip out that night back to the room. The villagers were terrified of what had happened. When they returned, still partially merfolk, their fingers a bit too sharp, and their skin much too tough and silvery, Malik was fuming. The man grabbed him by the shirt he hadn't realized stayed on.

"What the hell did you do?" he whispered loudly.

Altair raised an eyebrow as the manager of the inn came and checked on them. He wrapped his brother and baby in a blanket and hid partially in the shadows. As soon as the innkeeper was gone, Malik spun on his heel and scowled.

"You turned my brother into a woman with your-your freakish ways! This-this is why I did not want you to escort him!"

Kadar simply smiled, pulling off his shirt again to reveal small breasts, and he ran his fingers over them lightly. "I don't know. I kinda like it. Look!"

He rose, pressing his legs together and running his hands down his sides. He was still weak and emaciated, he concluded, but a human or two would fix that. He certainly had the curves of a woman, and they would be even more pronounced once he gained some weight.

"_He does look good,_" he murmured, smirking at Kadar's grin, despite his voice cracking.

"_We have a mama now, don't we?"_ his younger brother asked, walking over and looking Kadar over closely.

Kadar put his shirt back on.

"From now on," he proclaimed, looking proud, "I am a woman."

His younger brother grinned, hugging her. _"Mama."_

Malik looked about ready to kill him. Altair simply picked up his baby and held him close.

"Wait!" Kadar said, looking even more excited than before.

They both looked at him, his younger brother still embraced tightly.

"That means I can lactate, right?"

Malik look utterly appalled, and he shrugged. His voice was almost closed over—too much to talk anymore. Kadar's eyes glittered with excitement as she stared at the baby before blinking and pursing her lips.

"Well… I guess first I have to figure out how."

He had to admit that she impressed him. She didn't complain when the itching set in for seventy-two hours since she had transformed when he pulled her under. She bore it with a determined look and the occasional scratch. After just a few days, she managed to start producing milk. The women of the towns they passed through thought that his child was far too old to be suckling, but it kept his baby quiet, and it was good enough since he hadn't been able to hunt for a human in a while. His younger brother had been quiet so far, and he figured he didn't need to feed him until he mentioned something.

As it turned out, it was Kadar who got hungry first.

The young woman became a beast. Within a week, she would taste something and decide she hated it, spitting it out as she gagged. It had started out simple enough, and she would taste the food, wrinkle her nose, and politely decline. After she started turning up her nose at human food, Kadar started complaining about being hungry. She had never turned down the food Malik made her before, so Malik gave him death glares at every possible moment, the only thing stopping him from attacking was the knowledge that he was weaker. It was impossible to be stronger than him if he had been eating human food. The only overlapping foods they shared were fish, and there were not many fish inland. Regardless, he seemed to think that if he just glared enough or something, he would spontaneously combust and his brother would be back to normal.

They had been going along the path for nearly a week, following the pull to the ocean before Kadar had actually started complaining.

"Malik, I'm hungry."

"If you had eaten the breakfast I gave you—"

"It tasted disgusting."

"You're just being picky. Altair has poisoned your mind against regular food, the same way he has turned you into a woman."

"Hey, I like being a woman."

He looked over at her, and she gave him a "feed me?" look. His lips formed a thin line, and he nodded once before turning back around.

"What was that, Altair?" Malik hissed. "Are you raping him with your eyes? Was turning him from a man into a woman not well enough?"

He rolled his eyes, but didn't look back at them again as they continued to travel. That night, as they were settling down in one of the towns, he took Malik's coin pouch and walked out to the street. They had tried to eat at the inn, but Kadar had hissed and pushed the food off the table, refusing and gagging. He wandered around until he came across a small shop, and he walked in, browsing the shelves. Eventually, his hand passed over a small crystal dagger, and he picked it up. He would have to kill as a human, and humans did not have claws or sharp teeth, so a knife would have to suffice. Without even blinking, he paid for it and walked into the streets as he tucked it away so no one would see. With a small smile, he walked around, hiding until dusk.

He watched, waited, for a person to pass by. He had three mouths to feed. Breast feeding was okay, but it was not as filling as flesh. Not for a merchild as big as his son. He stripped from his clothes, hiding so he wouldn't get caught with blood on him. He watched as eventually, a young man stepped into the secluded area, a grin on his face as he undoubtedly waited for his paramour. With an evil grin, he stepped out, giving the man no time between the shock of seeing the knife and his death.

He dragged the body out of the town, dressed to cover the blood, and sent his younger brother out with the baby. He blindfolded Kadar and pulled her out, careful to avoid Malik patrolling the downstairs. He led her out to the body, gently guiding her to sit before he moved to the body and cut out a small piece of flesh. He pressed a finger to her lips, opening her mouth slightly and putting the flesh on her tongue. Kadar closed her mouth, chewing slowly. He could see Kadar thinking behind the blindfold.

"What is this?"

The girl went to pull the blindfold away, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling it back down. He pressed another piece of flesh to her lips and watched her eat it. His younger brother and the baby were already ripping into the body, and he felt himself smiling as her chewing grew hungrier and more desperate, until she was practically begging for more, and he put her hands on the body, watching as she ripped into it. He smiled, passing a hand over her back as she ate. By the time she was done, the body was nothing more than a skeleton. She was hunched over, blood smeared all over the bottom of her face and neck, breathing heavily, her lips curled into a snarl as she caught her breath, concentrated on eating instead of breathing. She snarled as he ran a hand gently along her cheek as his baby toddled around with his younger brother, who was leading him off to clean him.

"_What was that?"_ she hissed.

Altair shook his head, and he helped her up before touching her stomach. There was already a small bump, the merfolk baby developing much quicker than human children. If Kadar wanted an easy birth, they would have to get to the ocean soon. She inhaled sharply at the feel of his fingers on her stomach. He leaned in, licking a trail of blood up her jaw and stepping slightly closer. She shuddered, letting him lick her clean before he led her back to inn without letting her see the body. That would come in due time. Malik was busy cleaning his younger brother's and his baby's clothes. He licked his lips as he undid the blindfold, helped her undress, and put her to bed.

"What was that?"

He simply smirked, running a hand across her cheek as he ignored the feel of Malik's glare boring into his head. Then, without a second look, he put his younger brother and baby to bed, curling up and ignoring the hunger that had began to gnaw at him. His first duty was to his mate, his younger brother, and his baby. Kadar was becoming all she should be.

It was several days later before she became hungry again, and he realized that with his hunger pains seeping in and Kadar's need for nourishment, they would have to stop somewhere populated to feed him. But, he shouldn't have worried. She was more than capable of taking care of herself.

"Malik, Altair, can we stop by the hot springs? I want to stop by the hot springs. Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

He looked over his shoulder to look at Kadar, who gave him a pathetic look. He quirked an eyebrow, and Kadar gave him a pleading pout. He made a motion with his head, and she looked ecstatic, moving her horse into the lead and guiding them through the town to the hot springs. It was a bustling little place, the cool spring nights drawing in lots of people from the town and surrounding cities.

"No, Altair. We will not go."

He rolled his eyes, hopping off the horse and taking her hand to walk into the small cave. He could see people entering and exiting in clothing, soaking wet. They looked so happy.

"It's free here," Kadar said. "One of the last hot springs publically owned."

There were small changing rooms carved into the side of the cave. He frowned—he didn't know why they were bathing in clothes. There was a large open cave, whose floor was nothing more than steaming water. Kadar led him to the side of the water and put her toes in. His younger brother tugged at his shirt, and he blinked, looking at him before gesturing him to go in and stay underwater. He nodded and walked to the pier, following it out to the middle of the deep hole in the ground, and he did a graceful dive in. Malik was walking in with his baby.

He took Kadar's hands and led her farther into the water, quickly, leading her to the deepest part before the drop-off and ducking underwater. He shot to the bottom before he saw Kadar peek under. She was half transformed.

"_Come," _he hissed, knowing she could hear him, and her eyes grew wide as she began to see in the mineral-clouded water, and he watched as she started swimming down awkwardly, caught between her natural instincts and her human mentality.

He could see her eyes widen when she finally realized she had claws, too, and her teeth were sharp, and she paused halfway down to him in the deep hole in the center of the spring. She twisted and turned, running her hands over her body and biting one of her hands, yelping in pain and looking like a child who knew its birthday was tomorrow. He smirked as she turned and twisted in the water.

"_Enjoying yourself?"_

She gasped. _"You speak!_"

"_I told you that you were a mercreature."_

He grunted as she tackled him in a hug. _"That's so awesome! That's just… awesome! But…_"

He watched her pull back to look down at her stomach.

"_I've put on weight_."

He smirked, watching as she looked over herself again, trailing her hands over her stomach and keeping them there.

"_You're pregnant._"

"_I'm… what?"_

"_I'm gonna have a brother?_"

He looked at his younger brother, who had swum beside them.

"_A nephew."_

The young mercreature looked contemplative, and he looked when he heard Malik jump in, his baby clinging to his chest and watching.

"_They're beginning to worry,_" the man hissed.

"_You knew that we were merfolk, and you didn't tell me?_"

Malik met his gaze briefly, but he grabbed Malik's shoulder. _"Let us hunt before they get out for a search team._"

Malik met his gaze and narrowed it, but nodded once. Within ten minutes, they had at least fifteen bodies resting at the bottom of the pit. Kadar was watching in horror as the bodies sunk, and his younger brother was already taking his baby down to feed.

"_Are you satisfied?_" Malik hissed. "_This is what we are. This is what I tried to teach you not to be._"

"_Eat, Kadar,_" he hissed, bumping Malik rather violently. "_Your brother will, too._"

"_W-was this what you… you…"_

"_Yes."_

"_And I…"_

"_We are merfolk. We live off human flesh. This is who we are."_

"_This is what I tried to teach you not to be."_

He left the pair to go and eat, eyeing the carcass that his baby was eating cautiously, easily seeing through the blood. With a quick glance, he grabbed a different one nearby, a little boy of only several years, and swam back to Kadar, pushing the carcass into her hands.

"_Eat, for the child in your stomach_."

Kadar gave him a horrified look, before turning to stare at the body in her hands. _"This is… this… a… you…_"

Malik was already gone to the bottom to eat, and he frowned. _"This will taste better than the young man I fed you before._"

"_I ate human?_" Kadar screeched, looking absolutely mortified.

He rolled his eyes and turned to go to the bottom. He and Malik ended locked in a fight, the carcass of an old man between their teeth as they tried to get the other to let go. He supposed that Malik had been a merman ready to snap from trying to be human. The man was every bit as vicious as the legend they had surrounded themselves with. He was enjoying the challenge, despite his weaker state. Eventually, they were attacking each other, days of pent up anger and provocation between them. They bit and clawed, slammed each other against the rocks and drove each other into the hot spring rocky bottom. He knew that his younger brother and his baby were watching them, learning, observing. They darted and swam, crashed and clawed, releasing everything that had been building up. There was no desire to mate, no desire to be friends, just the timeless _need_ to establish dominance between two alpha males. By the time he had won, he was scraped, the tough cartilage unfazed for the most part. Malik's face was ground into the rock bottom, and he snarled as the merman fell still, breathing heavily.

"_Just wait until I am stronger._"

He snarled again, shoving him hard against the bottom and swimming back to his boys. Kadar was sitting there, a horrified look on her face from the nigh-skeleton in her arms. He knew that she had eaten it, unable to help herself once she smelled the blood, unable to stop herself once she tasted the flesh. She had been too hungry. Close in kin to sharks, they were unstoppable once they entered a raging feeding frenzy.

Still, she would have to learn that it wasn't possible to be human if her true calling was a mercreature. Kadar remained there, hunched over, Malik trying to console her for the rest of the night, and when he woke with his younger brother and his baby cuddled close in the morning, the pair was still cuddling. Kadar was picking at one of the carcasses, weakly protesting the food that Malik would offer her, trying to resist but depraved of food for too long. They spent the next few days there, the bodies held down by the rocks at the bottom, bones buried in the crevasses.

Several times, divers with crude forms of goggles dived in, trying to catch a glimpse of them, but they never resurfaced, and he almost thought he could live here forever. His baby was learning to swim and fight, chewing on his or Malik's arm, roughhousing with Kadar or his younger brother. His younger brother was growing stronger now, as well, with the ever-constant supply of food and the human curiosity of "What's going on?" Kadar was adjusting, and Malik had needed no time for adjustment at all, borderline ready to go crazy trying to be human, he had confessed, but Kadar was much more suited to be a human.

Of course, like the sea, life was never predictable. He had been patrolling a few feet from the surface, waiting for the next person to come and investigate almost two weeks later, and stopped when he heard an old man speak as he walked with another onto the pier.

"Today, Rana, I'm going to tell you the legend of the merfolk."

"Really, pappie?"

"Really, my dear."

"But… don't they eat us?"

He could hear the sound of them stopping at the edge, slowly sitting down. He wanted to hear this, to see if the man knew what he spoke of.

"They do, Rana, but it is out of bitter resentment that they do."

"Why, pappie?"

"Listen closely, child: they are arrogant, proud creatures, ready to spring at any moment to prove you wrong."

He hid under the pier, listening in. This would be interesting.

"They were once a race of beautiful people—even more beautiful than any other human."

"But you say _I'm_ the most beautiful little girl."

"You are. They are no longer humans, Rana. Listen."

"Oh, sorry."

"Many, many years ago, there was a race of humans more beautiful than any other race. They were prideful, too, for they knew of their beauty. With every generation, they became more arrogant, luring in others to be their slaves."

"Really?"

"Really. Eventually, the people became afraid—"

"Why?"

"Because the slaves were starting to revolt. That was bad."

He ducked back under the water, listening in as he swam leisurely. Malik was also listening, resting against the pole of the pier.

"There was also great war to the east of them, and the people knew that they had to leave where they lived."

"Did they, pappie?"

"They did."

"Where did they go?"

"They called upon the powers of the gods to move their city under the waters of the ocean."

"How?"

He peeked above the waters, hidden partly in the shadows. The girl was tugging on her grandfather's sleeve, looking about interestedly. When she saw him, he ducked back under the water as she gasped.

"Did you see that?" she whispered loudly.

"See what, Rana?"

"There was something over there."

"Was there now?"

He looked at Malik, who was sniggering. He smirked: the old coot knew what he was talking about. Their legacy had been passed down with pride. The original inhabitants had eaten the human slaves when they tried to escape, and, through magic, had evolved into the merfolk that now resided in the deep sea vents.

He watched as his baby came swimming clumsily up, poking his head above water quickly before ducking back down and hurrying over to him. He held him close as his baby looked back at the pier. Eventually, the baby pulled away and swam a little closer again, looking up as if he wanted to get on the pier. He grunted, darting forward and using his tail to flip the child onto the pier, laughing at the sound of the little girl's shriek. After a few moments, he heard her speak.

"Are you… A mermaid, pappie! A mermaid! I'm Rana! Who are you?"

He could feel his baby's fear, and without a second thought, he launched himself from the water and onto the pier, snarling as he covered his child. The little girl screamed again, hiding in her grandfather's arms. Before he could attack, his baby pulled himself forward, loud smacks of the hands leaving tiny claw marks in the old wood. He hissed, contented to watch. Perhaps his baby was going to make his first kill. He grabbed the girl's leg, and when she went to panic, the grandfather hushed her.

"Look, Rana, he's not going to hurt you."

The girl whined, and his child tugged on her leg again before she slowly peeked at his child. He watched the exchange between them as she sniffled.

"What's your name?"

"The merfolk do not have names, Rana."

"Why not?"

"They have no need for it."

"_Call him Darim,_" he said, backing off slightly to watch his child's curious display.

The little girl shrank back when he spoke, but as he watched them, she eventually grabbed his baby's hands, dancing around in circles with him and chattering on ceaselessly. She was absolutely fascinated by the transformation process, helping him on his feet once his legs were free and giggling at his nakedness. Occasionally, he could catch his baby looking at him, and the child would shriek happily.

His younger brother came up soon enough, curling into his arms after they dipped back into the warm waters. When Malik peeked up, the grandfather raised an eyebrow.

"There must be a clan of you here. How many more?"

"_Two," _Malik rasped. _"My brother and his child."_

The grandfather nodded, turning to watch his granddaughter again. Eventually, the sun had set outside, and the grandfather rose shakily.

"It's not time to leave, is it?" Rana whined, and his baby looked back and forth.

He transformed and left behind the power of hearing. He probably wanted to know what was being said. With a frown, he pulled himself over, scooped up his child, and dunked him in the water, watching him transform back quickly.

"We must. Your parents are probably waiting to take you back to the village."

"We're going to the ocean tomorrow," she said proudly, turning to look at his baby.

"_Me too,_" his child said with a wide-eyed look at his father.

He nodded in agreement, locking eyes with the grandfather as Rana cheered.

"I'll come down every day and wait for you! We're going to be the best of friends! Forever! You and me! Right?"

His baby blinked, his eyes wide.

"Promise?"

He kept blinking. _"Pro-mise?"_

She cheered again. "I know a mermaid, pappie! We're gonna be the best of friends!"

She hugged his child and, before he could react, had taken her grandfather's hand was dragging him out of the cave. "And we're gonna meet each other every night!"

And once she was gone, he was miffed: his baby started crying piteously, luring Kadar up to comfort him. Malik looked surprised, and neither of the other three could figure out what had made the child so upset.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, they left the hot springs, Kadar talking animatedly to his child, her stomach much bigger with the surplus of food and the warm, rich waters.

His child kept babbling on about the little girl the entire way, and Kadar laughed and encouraged him to keep talking. It was a two days' slow ride to the ocean from where they were, and that night, they were nestled snugly in an inn, all of them still well fed from the springs. His child was making whining sounds as he tried to get comfortable in Kadar's lap, the bulge in her stomach now significantly larger. The unborn child had grown exponentially with the surplus of food, and Kadar kept looking happier and happier.

"Darim, there's not enough room on my lap for both you and my tummy."

He paid her no heed, fidgeting and squirming since he couldn't hear her. He was determined to make it work, still talking about Rana as he adjusted himself. Once he finally growled in frustration, about ready to attack Kadar's stomach, Malik scooped him up and handed him to his father, and he held him, smirking at the fact that his baby was still glaring at her stomach as he clung tightly to his chest.

"I'm going to name him Tazim," she said, looking at her brother, who was settled in front of the fire.

"He will not need a name in the ocean," Malik responded without looking as he made room near the fire. "Lie down, Altair. You're fussing too much."

He curled his lips as he settled beside him.

The next day, toward noon, as the itching was beginning to set in, they arrived at the sea. Kadar was absolutely thrilled, grabbing his child's hand and leading him down to the water. They were immediately drawn in, and he fancied he could see the waves pulling them, caressing them, and their mother was happy to see them after being away for so long. Kadar and his child vanished into the waves.

"Hey! You're back!"

He turned his head to see his almost identical twin jogging toward them, another man following behind at a slower pace. They embraced tightly—the sea would be most satisfied now.

"This is Shaun," his twin said, gesturing to the man behind him. "And this is my twin, and my younger brother, and my twin has a baby somewhere…"

"Oh, goodie," the man hissed as he stepped forward. "Another beastie without a name."

"We call him Altair," Malik said, holding out his hand. "I'm Malik, and my brother is already in the ocean. Altair's younger brother we call Ezio, and his child, Darim."

His youngest brother gave his twin a tackling hug.

"Well, at least someone around here has common sense," Shaun huffed, eyeing them all cautiously. "I call that creature Desmond."

He caught Shaun's attention with his hand before touching his ears. If he recalled right, then his twin lost his hearing as well, just as his child. His twin and his younger brother were rolling around in the sand, and he could see his child coming back out to join in the wrestling match, babbling happily and earning his twin's laughter. Kadar was watching from the water, looking happy.

"Yes, that idiot is deaf. God, it makes him near impossible to live with! The man is a freak, and it doesn't help that he can't hear to boot."

Malik nodded, placing his hand on his hip. "Seems to be common in Altair's line."

He rolled his eyes, watching the exchange between the two men.

"Lord, they must be related."

He frowned.

"How did you stumble upon him?"

"The man was stark naked ripping through the soldiers trying to destroy my house for my work. I figured I could at least keep him for a while—until the soldiers got the message. I was afraid the first time I saw him, since, you know, he was _eating_ the damn soldiers."

"What do you work for?"

"Several prime trading companies. If the kingdom gets their hands on the information I work with, then those trading companies will be regulated until they're bankrupt. I make sure their shipments arrive here, document what did make it, send out contact information—not all of which is entirely legal—and house the pirates. The soldiers will learn."

"Have they?"

"Most certainly, but now Desmond's acting like a leech. Made me move down to the ocean and spends _hours_ in the ocean while I work. He keeps insisting on taking me down to the sea floor, but he seems to forget that _I'm not a merman._"

He huffed, rolling his eyes.

"And just what was that for?" Shaun spat, glaring at him. "If you start in on this nonsense about sea witches and all that bollocks, I'm not giving up my life here. He can swim around all day if he likes. I'm not leaving my home."

He rolled his eyes again, looking when he was beckoned (everything they did was telepathic. That was why they didn't need names—they knew who and when someone needed them) and left them to join them. They wrestled well into the evening, jumping in the waves and rolling around underwater, and he knew that it was good practice for his child. As they settled around a campfire on the beach, his child told his twin all about Rana for as long as he could before his twin's ears shut—and even then. He was sitting with his twin pressed against him on one side and Malik pressed against the other. His child was in his lap, gnawing on a piece of driftwood and earning him Kadar's irritation for not stopping him. It didn't matter if he broke his teeth: they would grow in new when he transformed again, but Kadar's belly was swollen enough that she couldn't keep his child in her lap. When his child sat in his lap, it was his rules.

His twin was happy to stay with Shaun on land—he enjoyed it. If his brother was happy, he was happy. Still, they ended up sleeping together in the ocean for a night, three hours' swim to their sea vent. Kadar was floored as they entered, the bustle of the sea life and the small collection of merfolk living there. They watched, silent, before crowding in close with quiet greetings and soft hugs, thanks that they were home finally and safe, and with child, too.

They led Kadar over to one of their favorite chimneys. It was tall with holes where black smoke poured out, and tube worms grew around it, creating a cushy base for her. Crabs crawled through the forest of tubes, and mussels occasionally littering the ground. She sighed contentedly, settling down as several stayed behind. Five of them had given birth in the past four decades, himself included a decade ago, shortly before he was captured and forced into the lake. They lived long lives, so few births weren't a problem, but it was always good to see another life brought into their clan. A few of them caught shrimp from the surroundings, bringing them over to find her already asleep, nestled into the tube worms and warmed graciously by the chimney. They let the shrimp go, coming back to talk to him about their return. His twin spent one night there before returning to his lover, promising to come and visit again.

It was good to be back, he decided, and even Malik agreed.

The years passed quickly after they returned, and everything seemed to look up from there. Kadar's baby was born without any complications, and his son was getting stronger and deadlier by the day. It was pity that Malik was gaining his strength back, he thought, for now he actually had to try to beat him in a fight—and not always could. His younger brother had filled out, his strength returned, and he was their best on-land hunter they had (such a charmer with the ladies).

It was almost fifteen years later before his son swam along the shoreline, waiting, watching. She would come down every night, just as she had promised, her long hair down (or braided, sometimes with flowers), and her summer dress on. She would pause in the moonlight, searching for him in the bright night.

"_Why?_"

He turned to see his friend staring at him, and he paused, shrugging. _"Do I need a reason?_"

"_She's a human, novice."_

"_So? She's beautiful, and she's my friend._"

"_Watch it,"_ his companion warned, tisking and glaring, _"or you may fall in love and end up like that idiot twin of your father's."_

"_He is not an idiot!"_ he snarled, darting forward and tackling the merman.

They wrestled about until he had him pinned in the sand on the shore, snarling as he thrashed to escape.

"Darim?"

He looked up, the young woman of his dreams in front of him. He rolled off his companion, watching as he hissed and vanished.

"Was that Tazim?"

"_Yes_."

He hoisted himself up to balance on the end of his tail and cup her cheek. She smiled, leaning in and kissing the corner of his mouth. His lips curled downward.

"_Has he been treating you better?"_

She looked away, staring at the sand. "No, he hasn't."

He growled, and she shrunk back. _"Has he touched you at all?_"

"Yes. He didn't leave—"

"_He raped you?"_ he hissed, his fingers curling into fists. "_Again?_"

"Please, Darim, it's okay—"

"_Rana, this has been going on for years now. This is not okay. Let me take care of him for you._"

She was silent, then shook her head. "I will be okay."

"_You are not—" _his voice cracked: he was already going deaf. That tone in her voice ripped him up. _"You are not okay. Rana."_

He pulled her close, eventually settling with his upper half as a human as his tail was washed by the waves. He was, no doubt, one of the largest contributors to the changing myth that merfolk were half-human and half-fish, always seen waiting atop a rock for her to come down to him. He pressed soft kisses to her neck, slowly drawing giggles. He couldn't help but smile. When he rolled her over to kiss her, he knew he was hopelessly in love—but favorite companion didn't need to know that. It would earn him only ridicule—especially since his father was already being teased about getting pregnant from his archrival.

Still, his uncle was happily living on land, and he figured that he could if he wanted, and be okay. His uncle wasn't too far from where Rana lived, so he could easily call on his uncle for help. The man she was married to now didn't deserve her.

He met her gaze, and she looked almost upset, reaching up to run her hands over his face. His eyes fluttered closed as she touched him. She squirmed when she felt the warm caress of the ocean water between her legs, and he couldn't help but laugh breathlessly. She had confessed once to feeling as if she had some sort of control by choosing not to wear the undergarments most women wore, even though it was "disgraceful" and "whorish."

He rested his head against her chest as he laughed quietly, feeling the beat of her heart beneath his forehead. Her legs bent as she hugged him, as if to cuddle him, and he nuzzled against her collarbone, eventually moving the dress out of the way to kiss the skin there.

She wasn't afraid of him. She was the one that chastised him when he murdered. They played and kissed, loved and wrestled, as if they were longtime friends, which, in a sense, they were. He laughed loudly when she squeaked as he tickled her sides. There were some things he would kill for—and she was one of them. She deserved so much better than the monster that she lived with now. The man was wealthy but abusive. He was sexist. Of course, his own lack of sexism was probably due to the fact that there weren't actually genders among the merfolk. He ran a hand down her leg, absolutely fascinated by the hair there, having little on his own human form beside the hair on his head and the thatch between his legs. His father's lover was lucky enough to have some on his chin, too.

He watched her come unraveled as he tickled her, until she was curling up, laughing and kicking. Her dress was soaking wet, and he was pretty sure she was crying from laughing so hard. He loved listening to her laugh—that was probably the most unfortunate part of being a merman, and the fact that he had to give up his hearing to a human. Already, it was hard to hear her, his upper torso that of a man causing them to close over partially. Eventually, he relented just enough she caught her breath and wiggled away.

"_No fair, Rana. I don't have my legs yet."_

She stuck her tongue out before smiling again. "I know! Now you can't tickle me!"

With a growl, he started pulling himself up the beach, and as the sand dried out his tail, he eventually rose onto his feet and ran after her. She yelped when he stood, and he chased her down the beach until he tripped over a root from the trees that lined the edge of the sand. He tumbled, wiping the sand from his face and spitting.

He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Rana looked worried, and he smiled when he saw her mouth: "Are you okay, Darim?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, standing up and dusting himself off before he decided it was futile.

He pulled her close and kissed her once, deeply, before he shooed her off, telling her that he couldn't meet for two days since he was on hunting duty and there was a fleet of ships headed their way. She kissed him again, on the corner of his mouth, and he smiled as he bid farewell. His mind was made up.

Two nights later, he was standing on the beach, his father's (mother's) permission and best of luck. He was wearing absolutely nothing except a pair of thick, woolen gloves with the fingers torn off. They were his father's favorite possession because they held water so well. He flexed his fingers, feeling his claws, and stole off through the woods and into the village. With a quick glance around, he found a dapper gentleman walking in the dark alone. He smirked.

Once he was dressed in the suit the man had been in, he pulled the body to his uncle's and knocked. When Desmond saw who it was, he greeted him warmly, taking the offered body with glee.

"What are you doing here?" Desmond asked as they walked into the kitchen.

Their eyes were trained on each other's lips, the curse of the deaf.

"I'm going to marry a woman."

"Oh, really? Who? And why didn't I know?"

"Her name is Rana."

"Rana?" His uncle looked contemplative as he pulled out a butcher knife, stabbing it into the body as he pursed his lips. "Darim, isn't that the married wom—"

"I know. But she won't be after tonight."

Desmond laughed loudly. "Right. Need help?"

"Yeah. That's why I came to you with a peace offering."

"Well, first we have to get rid of this body."

"Looks like it's time for dinner, yeah?"

The two met each other's gazes before bursting into laughter. Darim took off his jacket and shirt, already spattered slightly with blood, and put the still wet gloves off to the side. He flexed his claws as Desmond started eating as if it wasn't a human lying strewn across the table, bleeding and mangled, but something like a bird. With a grin, Darim knocked Desmond's hand away and ripped out the heart. Desmond scowled and went to grab it back, but he wasn't going to give it up easily. By the time they were actually done eating, the kitchen was a mess, and he and his uncle were lying on each other, laughing.

"So…" he saw his uncle say when he looked at him next. "Do we get more tonight?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I reckon fish gets boring, right?"

"Yeah. It does. But that's why I visit the vent once a month. And then don't eat for a week or two afterward."

He rolled his eyes, and they both startled when they saw Shaun come storming in, looking panicked and bewildered until he saw them both lying there, a bloody mess, and he blinked before flying into a shouting fit. Darim blinked this time, glad he couldn't hear him as Shaun raged and vented, and he turned to look at Desmond, who grinned and mouthed, "That's why I'm glad I'm deaf. This is normal."

Darim started laughing, and before they knew it, he was pulling the shirt and jacket on as they ran, buttoning up the collared shirt and watching the red seep through. He soaked the gloves again in the center well in the town and pulled them on. He left the jacket undone, grinning as he and his uncle fled the house. They decided to leave Shaun to panic. A few houses down, they stopped, and Darim touched the knob, swinging the door open. He frowned as he looked around. Undoubtedly, she would be in either the kitchen or the bedroom. He told his uncle to check the kitchen, and he found a staircase at the back, walking up and into the loft where they apparently slept. It was a small room, and he could see her changing behind the door of her wardrobe.

"Rana," he said, laughing when he saw her startle and peek around the door.

"D-Darim?"

He smirked, holding his arms out. She eyed the blood all over him almost frightfully. He paced forward, pulling her into a hug and running his fingers through her hair before kissing her head. She wasn't even completely changed yet, dressed partly in a ratty nightgown. He would get her one so much better after her husband was dead. She was holding it up to cover her breasts.

"I told you I wouldn't put up with it for the ten years you've been married. When does he get home?"

He could feel her trembling in his arms, and he could smell the fear she had. He guided her back to the bed slowly, sitting her on the edge of it as she kept the nightgown hugged tightly against her to cover her. He cupped her cheek as he knelt in front of her, leaning in and kissing her gently. She blushed.

"D-Darim, you shouldn't—why are you wearing wet gloves?"

He laughed, kissing her forehead as she dropped her nightgown to hug him tightly. Whatever she said was lost to his ears as he cradled the back of her head, one arm wrapped tightly around her. She was _terrified_. He could smell it—if the trembling wasn't enough. When he finally pulled back, he let his hands run down her arms as he looked over her closely. Bruises and welts adorned her skin as if they were jewelry. He hoped the husband got home soon, so he could take off the gloves and just kill the man. Rip him to shreds and enjoy another meal with his uncle. Then marry Rana. He let one of the gloves touch a bruise on her stomach, and he leaned in to kiss her after staring at it for a minute. He was going to treat her so much better. He would treat her like his princess. He would bring up treasures from the deep seas to spoil her. He would be the best thing to happen for her. And when she grew old, he would care for her no matter what happened.

He could feel the vibrations of the pounding of feet on the stairs, and he shivered in anticipation. He jumped when he felt a bucket of warm water dump on his head, and he looked to see his entire upper half back to that of a merman and his uncle standing there, laughing, before scooping up Rana and moving her to the far side of the room. Four or five of his fingers were claws, part of his neck and jaw that slick, silvery, mottled green color. He was talking animatedly as Darim watched a large, bulky man come storming up the stairs. His face was red as he roared, swinging wildly as he moved out of the way. This was the man she was married too. Darim hopped back a few steps and hissed, flexing his claws. The man staggered back, his eyes wide.

Undoubtedly, Darim was a hideous sight. He was soaking wet from his head to his groin. His eyes could see everything clearer now, sharp details, the individual threads on the shirt he was wearing. He could smell everything again, the fear rolling off the man and off Rana, the amusement of his uncle. He could hear everything again, the ragged inhales of the man, the buzzing of the fly in the window. With a roar of his own, he chased after the man as he fled.

As the man exited the house, the mercreature snarled, jumping on his back and inhaling deeply as he sunk his claws into his back, wrapping around the spinal cord as he bit down sharply on his neck to hold on. He could hear the sound of doors opening as he killed the man swiftly, reveling in the iron taste of blood on his tongue. Without preamble, he ripped into the man, shortly after joined by his uncle, who, by the looks of it, was half transformed himself. They made short work of the man, leaving him as a thoroughly chewed up skeleton in the street. He thought he heard someone calling him an "Alien."

With a huff, he straightened. He kissed his uncle goodbye, snarling at the curious onlookers before vanishing into the shadows. He waited until he heard the chaos in the square die down, sometime around dawn, and he slipped back into the house. Rana was waiting upstairs, terrified as he approached her. He paused a few feet away, watching her as she trembled. He was completely human again, still dressed in the now bloodied suit top and jacket.

"I told you: you deserve someone who will take care of you."

She watched him.

"Rana?"

"I-I—"

He frowned. This certainly wasn't going the way he wanted it too. Regardless, Rana was his now. With a shrug, he undid the shirt and jacket, pulling them off and tossing them away. They were destroyed anyhow with the blood stains. He peeked into the bathroom to find a small pot of water, and he paced over, washing himself down briskly, watching his skin turn a silvery color under the lamp she had left in there, undoubtedly for the beast of a husband to come in and bathe. He needed it. There had been a slightly filthy taste to him, and Darim ended up rinsing his mouth, spitting out into the already filthy water. By the time he was done, he hoped Rana had calmed down.

He turned toward the door, jerking when he saw her there, looking more than a little upset.

"Rana?"

"You won't—"

He stepped forward, and she stepped back. Her nightgown hung loosely over her shoulders, and he couldn't help but frown. She was beautiful.

"You won't…"

"Rana, I'm not going to harm you. I just want to take care of you. You've been my friend for years now."

"B-but—"

"Rana. I'm not going to harm you. I swear by it."

He held his hands up, stepping forward again.

"I'm going to show you how you should be treated."

He walked out slowly, careful not to touch her. She watched him as he sat on the bed.

"I've known you for fifteen years. I want to spoil you. Hell, I won't even touch you if you don't want me too. I just want to care for you."

And he almost didn't believe she would ever believe him until he was kissing her on the beach at their wedding, his father, new brother, and clan watching in amazed awe. Darim felt like the luckiest man alive.

* * *

><p><strong>Questions? Comments? Complaints? I'm willing to listen. But, yes, I know this is dark. Trust me. I've written worse.<strong>


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